COLUMN: Hawkeyes' Lee wins it all

     A year ago around this time, Iowa wrestler Spencer Lee was coming off an upset loss in the finals of the Pennsylvania state wrestling tournament. A three-time state champion, all Lee needed to do was defeat Austin DeSanto in the finals to cement his history as one of the best high school wrestlers in Pennsylvania history.

     DeSanto, no slouch himself, had won 53 straight matches. His last loss was to Lee the previous year, a 15-0 drubbing in the state finals.

     Afterward, the Lee family confirmed what most already knew. Lee had been wrestling the previous few weeks with a torn ACL. Not to take anything away from DeSanto, but a healthy Lee may have staved off the winning takedown as time expired.

     Now fast-forward to a year later and Spencer Lee has a surgically repaired knee and a NCAA wrestling championship at 125 pounds. Lee came out of a redshirt in January and never looked back.

     In the championships he dominated, winning his first two matches by technical fall, both 18-0 scores. Next up he pinned his opponent in the quarterfinals as well as decking former champ Nathan Tomasello from Ohio State, by fall.

     In the finals he took on Rutgers’ Nick Suriano, who was undefeated. Suriano hadn’t surrendered a point in the tournament as well. Lee won 5-1.

     Lee becomes just the second Hawkeye true freshman to win a national title. The first was three-time champion Lincoln McIlgravy. Spencer has a chance to go down as one of the greatest Hawkeye and collegiate wrestlers of all-time. I look forward to his remaining three years as well as his quest to become an Olympic champion.

     Just in case you are wondering what happened to DeSanto, he now wrestles for Drexel University. DeSanto qualified for the tournament too but at a weight above Lee at 133. He was seeded seventh. After winning his opening round match, he was defeated by Michigan’s Stevan Micic, 12-3.

     In the wrestlebacks, he lost an 8-6 decision to unseeded Scott Delvecchio, from Rutgers, to end his freshman tournament. Micic ended up in second place, Delvecchio placed 5^th.

     Somewhere down the line these two Pennsylvania studs may meet up again. Lee would have to jump up a weight and DeSanto would have to hold his. If that match does ever take place, my money is on Spencer Lee. Go Hawks!